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Characterizing the terrestrial carbon, water, and energy cycles depends strongly on a capacity to accurately reproduce the spatial and temporal dynamics of land surface evaporation. For this, and many other reasons, monitoring terrestrial evaporation across multiple space and time scales has been an area of focused research for a number of decades. Much of this activity has been supported by developments in satellite remote sensing, which have been leveraged to deliver new process insights, model development and methodological improvements. In this Special Issue, published contributions explored a range of research topics directed towards the enhanced estimation of terrestrial evaporation. Here we summarize these cutting-edge efforts and provide an overview of some of the state-of-the-art approaches for retrieving this key variable. Some perspectives on outstanding challenges, issues, and opportunities are also presented.

The main objective of the Belspo-funded LIMAMAL project was to support archaeologists in creating 3D terrain visualizations based on Lidar data and Pléiades stereoscopic imagery, and a combination or “fusion” thereof. A case study was developed to demonstrate the application of Pléiades imagery and light detection and ranging (lidar) technologies for prospection and visualization of the Mesoamerican archaeological landscape. Based on this case study, guidelines in English and Spanish have been developed to explain the technical processing. The project involved a stakeholder: the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), a Mexican federal government institution responsible for research, conservation, protection and spreading of knowledge on Mexican cultural heritage. The case study and guidelines were presented to the stakeholder and other interested parties during several meetings held during a short mission to Yucatan, Mexico in the spring of 2022.

Advances in close-range and remote sensing technologies drive innovations in forest resource assessments and monitoring at varying scales. Data acquired with airborne and spaceborne platforms provide us with higher spatial resolution, more frequent coverage and increased spectral information. Recent developments in ground-based sensors have advanced three dimensional (3D) measurements, low-cost permanent systems and community-based monitoring of forests. The REDD+ mechanism has moved the remote sensing community in advancing and developing forest geospatial products which can be used by countries for the international reporting and national forest monitoring. However, there still is an urgent need to better understand the options and limitations of remote and close-range sensing techniques in the field of degradation and forest change assessment. This Special Issue contains 12 studies that provided insight into new advances in the field of remote sensing for forest management and REDD+. This includes developments into algorithm development using satellite data; synthetic aperture radar (SAR); airborne and terrestrial LiDAR; as well as forest reference emissions level (FREL) frameworks.